Microenvironmental Regulation Of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression And Nitric Oxide Production In Mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Mast Cells

In addition to its well-known role in relaxation of vascular smooth muscle, NO modulates immune responses in a concentration-and location-specific manner. For MC, it is well accepted that exogenous NO regulates their function. However, there are inconsistencies in the literature of whether MC express NOS and make NO. MC progenitors mature in peripheral tissues, but the factors that influence MC maturation and their specific phenotype, such as whether they express NOS, are not well understood. To study microenvironmental conditions that could be "permissive" for NOS expression, we cultured BMMC in various conditions-BMMCIL-3, BMMCSCF/IL-3, or BMMCSCF/IL-4-for >3 weeks and examined NOS expression. We detected Nos2 mRNA in BMMCSCF/IL-4 but not BMMCIL-3 or BMMCSCF/IL-3. After stimulation with IFN-gamma and/or LPS, NOS2 expression and NO production were detected in BMMCSCF/IL-4 but rarely detected in BMMC cultured with other conditions. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that NOS2 expression induced by IFN-gamma colocalized in CD117(+) BMMC. NO production, after activation with IFN-gamma and LPS in BMMCSCF/IL-4, was abrogated by pretreatment with the NOS2-specific inhibitor. In addition to NOS2 expression, BMMCSCF/IL-4 were distinguished from BMMCIL-3 in heparin and MMCP expression. Thus, MC progenitors that develop in SCF + IL-4 can be induced to express NOS2 after receiving appropriate signals, such as IFN-gamma, and subsequently produce NO. Microenvironmental conditions during their development can influence whether MC are capable of NOS expression and of NO production. J. Leukoc. Biol. 91: 581-590; 2012.